No Place Like Home
by SJO
Summary: Jack retraces Dorothy's legendary journey through Oz.
1. The Accident

No Place Like Home  
  
A Samurai Jack/ Wizard of Oz Fanfic by SJO  
  
Note: I don't own Samurai Jack or The Wizard of Oz. That's a book written by L. Frank Baum. I think it's in public domain. It's about a century old, after all. This is based more on the book than it is the movie.  
  
Chapter 1: The Accident  
  
Jack would be crazy to stay out in weather like this.  
  
His travels had found himself in a large forest in northern Tennessee, and it was storming. Rain was coming down like bullets, and lightning seemed to strike at every second. That last roll of thunder indicated that the lightning was striking very close. Jack ran through the forest as fast as he could, desperately searching for shelter.  
  
Finally, he found a large log house that seemed to have been long abandoned. He ran in through the smashed glass doors in front. He panted as he watched the storm rage even harder. Suddenly, it started to hail. Jack covered his head in case the hail broke through the wooden roof. That didn't happen. Through his arms, Jack peered through to see the sky grow even darker. Through the high windows, he saw the clouds starting to move in a swirl.  
  
"No. It cannot be a hurricane."  
  
It got really quiet; then Jack heard something that sounded like a chugging motor. He wasn't acquainted with tornadoes, but Jack knew enough to understand that this was trouble. He hid in a tiny room with no windows. He could hear the wind howling and tearing the wood. Even as strong as he was, Jack was terrified.  
  
Then he realized, his tiny room was rocking. He opened the door to see. No longer could he see forest all around him but dark clouds everywhere. Jack couldn't believe it! The hurricane had somehow lifted this huge house from its foundation and is carrying it to who knows where. It must be some sort of awful magic.  
  
After some time, the house landed with a violent jolt. It knocked Jack down really hard and almost broke his nose. As he got up, he looked into the window, which miraculously were not broken. He was now in a different place. He could see huge flowers and trees of brilliant colors. He stood out on the lopsided deck to get a better look. This place was marvelous! He saw tiny houses of Easter egg blue, a clean brook, and such wonderful plants everywhere.  
  
"I don't think I'm in Aku's realm anymore," he said to himself. "But I certainly am not home either. Where am I?"  
  
At that, he heard a familiar chattering. He walked to the other side of the house to see those three same, strange beings he first saw when he came to Aku's future world. This time, though, they were dressed in funny, blue clothes and (if Jack wasn't mistaken) they were much shorter. Their slang hadn't changed, though. They were babbling about something Jack could not understand. "Excuse me," Jack said.  
  
The three guys turned around and trembled in awe. Finally, the blue- skinned guy came forward. "We welcome you to Munchkin Country of the great nation of Oz, most excellent sorcerer."  
  
Jack bowed and replied, "I humbly accept your greetings, but you must be mistaken. I am not a sorcerer."  
  
The pink guy smiled. "And he's modest, for a wizard. That is admirable."  
  
"I am not a wizard either! I am a samurai warrior. I do not know magic."  
  
"You must be a wizard," the green guy said. "You wear all white. Only very powerful wizards and witches wear white."  
  
"And you came from the sky!" the pink guy added.  
  
"And let's not forget the important thing, guys," the blue guy said. "You have freed us all."  
  
"I have?"  
  
"Perhaps I should explain," a disembodied voice replied. In a sudden pop, a familiar friend of Jack's appeared.  
  
"Sir Rothchild III!"  
  
"Oh no, I am the Good Wizard of the North, and I have come to see what I have heard. Look here, great sorcerer."  
  
The others moved aside as the true wizard showed Jack what had been done. Jack gasped! He saw two feet sticking out from under the house. He tried to pull them out, but their owner was quite stuck. Quickly, the body turned to dust. Jack bowed his head. "I have shed innocent blood."  
  
"Oh, she was by no means innocent. She was the Wicked Witch of the East, and she held the Munchkin people in bondage for many years. When your house landed on top of her, her evil reign came to an end, and the people of this land are now forever free." The wizard looked down. "Let's see if it's still here. Ah yes, here it is!" The wizard pulled out a large torch. "The witch used this to conduct her spells. No one really knows its power, but in good hands I'm sure it will bring luck and protection. It is hereby yours."  
  
"Thank you, but I have no need of it. You can make better use of it than I could."  
  
"Very well. The least we can do is grant your every wish and make you the new leader of Munchkin Land."  
  
"Thank you for the invitation, but I cannot. I am on a quest that I must continue. But if you truly know magic, could you please send me to my home, to my people, to my time?"  
  
"You can't leave Oz, man," the blue guy said. "East of here is an impassible desert!"  
  
"And the same desert is to the South," the pink guy added. "I hear that if any living creature touches it immediately will turn to dust."  
  
"Same desert is to the West," the green guy continued. "Besides, if you even try to go there you'll become a slave."  
  
"I'm afraid the same desert is north of my domain," the wizard concluded. "You'll have to stay with us." Jack bowed his head in resignation. "Unless . . . " The wizard took off his white hat, balanced it on his nose, and whispered, "One, two, three!"  
  
Immediately, the hat turned into a sign which read, "Let Jack go to the City of Emeralds."  
  
"Aha!" the wizard said with glee. "Is your name Jack, son?"  
  
"Yes sir, it is," Jack nodded, wondering how a hat could know his name.  
  
"Well, then, you must go to the Emerald City. Perhaps the great Wizard of Oz could help you."  
  
"Is he a good man?"  
  
"He's a good wizard. Whether or not he's a man, no one knows. He is more powerful than all the wizards and witches of Oz combined. If anyone can fulfill your wish, it will be him. The road is not hard to follow. It is paved with yellow bricks. There are many dangers on the way, though. Are you sure you do not want the torch?"  
  
"I am sure. My sword should be all I need."  
  
"Very well. I trust your judgment. Good luck!" With that, he disappeared as suddenly as he appeared. Jack found the road easily and started his journey. 


	2. A Wild Scarecrow

Chapter 2: A Wild Scarecrow  
  
Jack thought about the strange things he had seen. This is undoubtedly a world of magic. He had heard of several, such as Mount Olympus and the home of the sky dragons, even the moon where the rabbit in the moon was said to make the Elixir of Life. Perhaps one of its charms is for the citizens of this world to appear as people he knew very well. Who knows? Maybe the true forms of these people were too awesome to see by human eyes. He was skeptical of this great wizard of Emerald City. Perhaps Aku's evil even corrupts such a magical world.  
  
At sundown, Jack saw several Munchkin farmers holding huge celebrations to rejoice over the end of the Wicked Witch's reign. They waved at Jack as they saw him passed. Jack recognized them as various people he had helped. Jack stopped by when he saw a farm on the surface of a river. He knew these were the Triseraquin, and they would have the good sushi. They were very glad to see him. Jack had all he could eat, and they played games and danced. They kept asserting he was a wizard, though, which got on his nerves.  
  
The next morning, he got back on the Yellow Brick road and passed by yet another blue farm. This one had a large cornfield next to it. A Munchkin dummy hung on a poll. Jack wouldn't have noticed him if the dummy didn't call out, "Good morning!"  
  
Jack looked up, but he didn't see anyone. "Who spoke?"  
  
"Me."  
  
Jack wasn't too surprised. This was a magic world, after all. He stood on the fence to get a better look. He then recognized the dummy to be his old friend, the wild man raised by snow gorillas who knew how to "jump good." "Hello there, friend! Why are you stuck on a poll?"  
  
"Don't know! But I don't like it!"  
  
"I imagine. Here, I'll get you off." He rushed through the tall corn toward the dummy man. He drew his sword and cut the dummy down. The man cried out in surprise as he fell, but he seemed to be ok.  
  
"Thank you, friend," the dummy said offering his hand. Jack took it and surveyed the dummy in confusion.  
  
"Why are you stuffed with straw?"  
  
"Don't know. Should I be stuffed with something else?"  
  
"Last I saw you, you were flesh, blood, and bone."  
  
"I was made the day before yesterday." At that, the dummy started to recount his history. It must have been another charm of this place, but Jack could somehow see the flashback.  
  
Three Munchkin farmers, who looked much like those three archers he had de- cursed a while back, brought the dummy into the field and put him on the poll. "Well, I'd say we did a great job," one of them said. "He looks just like a man."  
  
"Why, he is a man!" another one said.  
  
"Yes. If I were a crow, I would be scared," the final one said.  
  
And they walked away. "Hey wait!" the dummy cried quietly. He tried to walk after them, but his feet wouldn't touch the ground. "Well, I guess they want me to scare crows. What's a crow?"  
  
Just at that moment, a loud cawing was heard from above. Several crows flew around the field, resembling to Jack that mob he was once a member of. "Cheese it, guys!" one member said. "There's a man in that field!"  
  
The other birds flew in panic, but the leader flew down and landed on the dummy's shoulder. "Look here, see? He ain't got nothing on us boyds, see? Yah. The man's only made of straw." He then went down and ate corn to his heart's content. As the others saw he wasn't harmed, they flew down and joined him.  
  
"Uh, boo! Go away! Me scary scarecrow! Shoo!" the dummy said trying to drive the birds away, but all the birds just looked at him and laughed.  
  
One crow with a rather narrow head said, "C'mon, you know it's gonna take a lot more brains to scare us!"  
  
"Brains?"  
  
The other crows glared at this one that spoke up. "Look here, what have I told you?" the leader asked.  
  
"Leave the singing to Rockin' Robin, and always keep your big beak shut."  
  
"Exactly, yah. Let's go find another cornfield."  
  
Around here, the flashback ended. "So, from then on, me try to find some way to get more brains. I know if I have 'em, I'll be good scarecrow."  
  
"You're fooling yourself, my friend," Jack said. "You have a great, clever mind. You devised so many of those traps I helped teach you. And you came up with this method to 'jump good.'" But the Scarecrow looked at him in confusion. Jack cleared his throat and tried to think of something he would understand. "I mean, you misunderstand brains. Infants have brains, but they do not know anything about the world. Experience is the greatest teacher, and it can be learned by one who has a head of brains or a head of straw."  
  
"All the same, I want brains. And I overheard some passersby talk about some wizard in Emerald City, and I think if he is a real wizard, he can give me brains!"  
  
"Don't you see? The mere fact that you thought such an idea shows you do have a working mind!" Scarecrow didn't reply. Jack sighed. "But if you wish to see this wizard, I am venturing to see him myself, and you are welcome to join me."  
  
"Really? Wow, first you free me, and then you let me come with you! You really are a friend! C'mon, let's go!"  
  
Jack told him more about his quest as they walked on. Scarecrow was very interested. At night, Jack stopped to make himself supper. Scarecrow kept his distance, because Jack had built a fire to cook his meal and the Scarecrow had a huge fear of fires. "Why do you have to eat?" Scarecrow asked.  
  
"Food gives me energy and strength. Do you want some?"  
  
"No, thank you! It's lucky I don't have a hole in my head. All the straw would fall out of my head, and then I'd have no place to put my new brains."  
  
"Yes, well I suppose you do not need food."  
  
"Jack," the Scarecrow asked (for Jack had told him his name while they journeyed), "why do you want to go home? Don't you like it here?"  
  
"I love it here. This is one of the greatest places I have ever seen. But I am needed at home." He told the Scarecrow about Aku and what he had done.  
  
"But, here we have no Aku. Don't you wanna live here and not worry about him anymore?"  
  
"It is tempting, but I cannot do such a thing and remember the pain my mother and father and all the people of the world endure. If I do not come back home, they will suffer forever."  
  
"I do not understand these things," the Scarecrow sighed. "When I get my brains, I'm sure it'll all become clear to me."  
  
Jack only nodded, because he didn't know what else to say. He then lay down to sleep. "Now what are you doing?" the Scarecrow asked.  
  
"Getting ready to sleep."  
  
"What for?"  
  
"To conserve my energy and renew me for the coming day."  
  
"It must be very inconvenient to be made out of flesh, blood, and bone. You have to eat, sleep, and drink."  
  
"And that's not the half of it!" Jack smiled. "But it is not proper to speak of such things." Jack sighed and looked at the stars. "Perhaps it is inconvenient, but I am content being what I am."  
  
"And of course, you have brains, so it must be worth the trouble."  
  
"Indeed. Goodnight, friend. Wake me if something attacks us."  
  
"Ok. Goodnight."  
  
So Jack fell asleep as the Scarecrow kept watch. 


	3. A Nerdy Tin Man

Chapter 3: A Nerdy Tin Man  
  
The next morning, Jack had a quick breakfast of fruit he found on the wild trees growing around, and their journey resumed. Yet, after a while, Jack heard a sound.  
  
"Oy vey! Help!"  
  
It was muffled, but it still sounded desperate. "What was that?" Jack said.  
  
"Don't know," the Scarecrow answered. "Me not see anything."  
  
"Help!"  
  
"It's coming from the forest!" Jack said immediately bounding in that direction. He came upon a man made of metal standing like a statue with an axe raised above his head.  
  
The man said through a closed mouth, "I don't believe it. Someone actually came!"  
  
Jack could see the man was badly rusted. He cut off a large piece of his robe and started polishing the man. He got off all the brown rust, but the man still couldn't move.  
  
"Thank you," the man said. "I never looked better. Now, could you please get my oil can in that shack and oil my joints?"  
  
Jack nodded and did so. He oiled the man's mouth first, so that he could speak more comfortably. As he inspected the man's face, Jack recognized the scientist who invented the marauder robots that nearly defeated him. "Extor?"  
  
"The name's Chopper. Nicholas Chopper. But you can call me Nick," the man replied.  
  
"Nick Chopper?"  
  
"That's right."  
  
Jack oiled his arm that was holding the axe and swiftly brought it down. Nick groaned. "Did that hurt?"  
  
"Oh no, it felt wonderful. I've been holding that axe for a year, maybe even longer. I'm so grateful that you came and saved me."  
  
After about an hour of oil and elbow grease, Jack declared. "Finished. High five?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"High five?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"High five?"  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
Jack shook his head. "Never mind. It doesn't make much sense to me either. How would a robot get in such a condition?"  
  
"What's a robot?"  
  
"As I understand it, a robot is a machine that looks and functions like a man."  
  
"But I am a man. I'm just made out of tin."  
  
"I see. You were made out of tin and sprung to life, like the Scarecrow there."  
  
"No. I was a man before I was made out of tin." Nick sighed. "It is a long a depressing story."  
  
"I am in no hurry."  
  
So Nick flashbacked. Jack could see it like last time, but this story required more narration. "I was once an ordinary Munchkin woodsman, but I was in love. She was a beautiful girl named Nimmee Amee." To Jack, she looked a lot like Ikra. She was scrubbing the steps of a large castle. Her face lit up as she saw a young man in Munchkin clothes wearing glasses.  
  
"Nick! I was hoping you'd come!" she cried as she embraced him. "What would you like to do tonight?"  
  
"I was thinking a game or two of chess."  
  
Nimmee looked a little disappointed. "Chess. Alright, as long as I'm with you."  
  
"But," Nick narrated, "she was the slave of the Wicked Witch of the East, and she didn't want anybody to take her slave away!"  
  
A sinister shadow fell on Nimmee and Nick. Jack couldn't see her, but he could hear her scream in anger. Nick and Nimmee looked up in terror. She held up her torch. "A curse be upon you!" she cried. A bright light appeared and enveloped his axe. "Now," the witch declared, "whenever you think of my slave, great harm will befall you!"  
  
Jack saw Nick starting to chop a tree. "I had a difficult choice to make. I had to either stop working or stop thinking about Nimmee. I found it to be quite impossible." The man stopped chopping, looked off in the distance, smiled, and sighed. At that same second, the blade of the woodsman's axe slipped off its handle and hit where Jack couldn't see. "AAAAAAAAGH!" the woodsman screamed. "MY LEG!!!!"  
  
"The cursed axe had cut my right leg clean off. It was painful, but my career was my greater concern. What good is an one-legged woodsman? But I had an idea. I was experimenting with tin-smithing at the time. I had this neat idea of making some assistants out of tin and doubling my productivity. I used my limited knowledge to make a new leg out of tin for me." Jack watched as the man examined his tin leg. "There. Good as new."  
  
"But the same thing happened with my other leg. Nothing daunted, I made another leg out of tin with me. When my right arm was cut off in the same manner, I knew I was in trouble. A woodsman must have both arms, and I can't very well make me an arm out of tin with one hand. So, I had to let Nimmee in on it."  
  
Jack watched the woodsman meet Nimmee at the same castle at sundown. "Nimmee, I need your help."  
  
"Certainly. What do you nee--oh my goodness! What happened to your arm?"  
  
"That's why I need you. I'll explain everything." He took Nimmee to his shed and explained her about his tinsmith project. "I need you to be my second arm."  
  
"Nick, you know I would love you even if you had no arms."  
  
"I know, Darling, but I want to provide for you. And in order to do that, I need to have all my appendages in working order."  
  
"We made my right arm just fine. And the same thing happened with my left arm, but we fixed it together. By then, I thought there was little the witch could do. Was I wrong." The young woodsman started daydreaming again, and the blade slipped and crashed right down on him. Everything went black.  
  
"It killed you?" Jack cried.  
  
"Oh no. Nothing dies in Oz."  
  
"But that can't be. I just--"  
  
"NOTHING dies in Oz."  
  
Jack was confused, but he said, "Very well. Sorry for interrupting."  
  
"It's alright. I felt that this was the end, but luckily Nimmee found me."  
  
Nimmee came around a tree and cried out in horror. "Oh no! Nick!"  
  
"She worked long and hard into the night, finishing the job that we had started. By morning, she had me a complete tin man."  
  
"Oh, Nick, your body is so shiny and beautiful. Let's marry now and live happily forever and ever!" Nimmee hugged him, but Nick didn't reciprocate. "What's the matter, my love?"  
  
"I, I don't feel it anymore."  
  
"Feel what?"  
  
"Love. For you." Nick put his hand on his chest. "You didn't make me a heart!"  
  
"There wasn't anything in the plans for a heart! Perhaps you could show me how to make one, and we'll patch one in for you."  
  
"No. A heart of tin will not substitute for a heart of flesh."  
  
"Can't you marry me anyway? We came this far."  
  
"I know, but I don't think you'll be happy, Nimmee. Without a heart, I cannot love you."  
  
He got up and started to leave. Nimmee started to cry. (It may have been a little too vengeful, but Jack thought it looked good to see the woman who betrayed him with a broken heart.) She called after him, "Well, if you ever do find a heart again, I'll still be here, waiting for you! Farewell!"  
  
The flashback faded. "She probably is still waiting for me, to this day."  
  
"Will it make you happier to know that she is now free?" Jack asked.  
  
"She is?"  
  
"Yes. I destroyed the Witch of the East in coming here. Quite accidentally, though."  
  
"Well, good for her. But after breaking up with Nimmee, I felt more dedicated to my work. Nothing could stop me now. If my axe slipped, it wouldn't scratch my tin. I was sure I was invulnerable. But you know what they say, 'Pride goeth before a fall.' I was careless to leave my oilcan in the shed and chop on a rainy day. Over all that time, I thought about how much I missed my heart. All the joy it gave me whenever I saw my Nimmee Amee, how it beat in my chest and even made me nervous around her. What I would give to have my heart once again!"  
  
"But you do have a heart!" Jack asserted. "Without a heart, you wouldn't have felt guilty when the ultra-robots destroyed all those innocent cities. You wouldn't have helped me defeated them, and they would have annihilated every place everywhere."  
  
"Come again?" Nick asked.  
  
Jack shook his head. "What I mean is, it is a foolish desire to have a heart, for hearts break so easily. With great joy comes even greater sorrow. Many men who have hearts wish they did not."  
  
"Well, I had one, and I want it back. Then I will go back to Nimmee Amee and marry her, and we will be happy for the rest of our days."  
  
"You come with us," the Scarecrow finally said. "The Wizard of Oz can help you. He gonna give me brains, and he gonna send Jack home. He can get you a heart."  
  
"You think so? Then, please, would you let me join you?"  
  
Jack nodded. "Very well."  
  
"Terrific! I will have a heart once again!"  
  
"You have brains?" the Scarecrow asked.  
  
"I used to. I was a very intelligent lad, but I think I prefer a heart to brains. Brains do not make a man happy, and happiness is the most wonderful feeling of the world."  
  
"Don't know. A fool won't know what to do with heart if he had one. Brains are better. What you think, Jack?"  
  
"I think we should continue our journey." Jack did not want to argue which was better, a brain or a heart.  
  
"Oh, of course!" Nick cried enthusiastically. "Let's go!" 


	4. A Scottish Lion

Chapter 4: A Scottish Lion  
  
Jack was glad he had a woodsman on the journey now. As the forest got thicker, the trees were posing more of a problem. Once they found a large fallen tree blocking their way. Jack's sword could easily cut through the wood, but it was good having someone else working at it too.  
  
"I hope we don't have too much more to do of this," Nick said. "We need our weapons prepared for danger."  
  
"What kind of danger?" Jack asked.  
  
"I've heard there are many dangerous creatures in this forests, like lions and tigers and bears."  
  
Jack nodded and walked on cautiously.  
  
"Ahem! That was your cue!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You know, for the frightful, 'Oh my!'"  
  
"How come? I am not afraid, not even of the King of Beasts."  
  
Scarcely had he spoke that, though, that the travelers heard a great roar. A lion had sprung onto the pathway. He bounded over to the Scarecrow and easily pushed him over. Then he went for Nick, but his tin hurt the lion's paw. Jack thought it was best to attack him while he was still injured. He drew his sword and charged with a war cry, but to his surprise, the lion screamed, covered his head with his forepaws, and started crying.  
  
"Don' hurt m', please!" the lion cried. "I wasn' gonna eat ye, I just wan'ed to shake ye up a wee bit. I'll leave ye alone, I will, if you just don' hurt me!"  
  
Jack knew that voice. It was the Scotsman he had met more than once on his travels. He was ashamed at the scene he was making. "Why are you acting so much like a coward?"  
  
"'CAUSE I AM A COWARD!" the lion bawled. "I was born a coward, and I'll die a coward! And don' ye go into the lecture! I know I'm not supposed to be a coward, that I will be King of the Beasts one day. My roar seems to make up for it, but every little bi' of danger makes me want to run! Oh, how I wish I had some courage in me!"  
  
"Absurd!" Jack cried. "You are one of the bravest men I know. Have you forgotten when we took on all those bounty hunters handcuffed together? Or when we faced an entire army of demons to save your wife?"  
  
"I'm not following ye, laddie," the lion shook his head.  
  
Jack sighed. "Perhaps I should say that you misunderstand courage. It is not being completely unafraid in the face of danger. It is standing up for yourself in spite of your fear. What you truly need is confidence in yourself, and I am sure you can gain that from being yourself."  
  
"Well, all the same, I'd like to forget I'm a coward every once in a while."  
  
"What makes you a coward?" Nick asked. "Is it a heart disease?"  
  
"I don' know. Maybe it is. Every time I face danger, my heart does beat something crazy."  
  
"Well then, you should feel glad that you have a heart, for I have none. But I'm going to get one from the Wizard of Oz, and Scarecrow is going to get a brain, and Jack is going to go back to his home. I'm sure the wizard could get you some courage just as easily."  
  
"Will he? Splendid! Let me come with you, please!"  
  
"You are welcome," Jack replied. It may be useful traveling with such a frightful beast after all.  
  
The journey was rather uneventful after that. At one time, Nick stepped on a beetle. He felt sad for the insect and started to cry. His jaws rusted together. Jack oiled the corners of his mouth so that he could speak again. "I'd better look where I step from now on," Nick said. "I don't want another little thing to be so hurt."  
  
"Do you not see that this proves you have a heart?" Jack asked. "You care for the life of an almost insignificant insect!"  
  
"On the contrary, it proves I do not have a heart. For your heart guides you and keeps you from doing wrong. Once I have a heart again, I will not have to be so cautious."  
  
Jack thought that notion was ridiculous, but he did not say anything.  
  
They found a place on the side of the road for Jack and the lion to call it a day. Nick and the Scarecrow stood guard.  
  
The danger was yet to come. 


	5. Dangerous Obstacles

Chapter 5: Dangerous Obstacles  
  
Jack woke with the sun the next morning. He found a nearby brook to drink from and wash his face with. The Lion woke up an hour or two later, and he immediately proposed a hunt.  
  
"I'll get ye a deer for breakfast if ye'd like, Jack."  
  
"No, please don't!" Nick cried. "I'll cry for the poor thing, and I'd be rusted again!"  
  
"Let's go into the forest and get our breakfast," Jack suggested. "You two can gather fruit and nuts while we're gone for us to eat later."  
  
"OK," the Scarecrow and Nick said together.  
  
Like the Lion promised, he killed a deer for them to eat. Jack watched, and it didn't look like the Lion needed any help. "It would we best if we did not discuss this with the others."  
  
"Of course, laddie."  
  
Jack took his portion and started to cook it. "If you claim to be such a coward, how is it you were not afraid of a huge deer?"  
  
"Well, that's different. Tha' was m' food. Besides, deer hardly pu' up much of a fight 'gainst a lion. Now, if I came across a Kalidah, it would be different."  
  
"A Kalidah? What is that?"  
  
"Kalidahs are fierce beasts that live in the darkest parts of this forests. They have the bodies of bears and faces of tigers. And they got sharp claws, sharper than steel I'd bet, and they could eat any living thing in two bites. They're terribly frightening."  
  
"But they do not eat lions, do they?"  
  
"Oh yes they do. Here they are the top of the food chain."  
  
"We will be on our guard for this ferocious beast."  
  
After they were done with breakfast, they headed back to the road and resumed their journey. It wasn't long, though, before they stopped dead in their tracks. A huge chasm had broken the Yellow Brick Road in two. There was no way around it and no way to climb the walls inside. There were many jagged rocks in the bottom. Jack inspected the ditch very closely as the others looked at it hopelessly.  
  
"It looks like our journey ends here," Nick said with a sigh.  
  
"Not quite," Jack said. He backed up, broke into a run, and jumped over the ditch. The others watched him with amazement. He landed safely on the other side. "Come, friend Scarecrow. Jump!"  
  
"No way!"  
  
"I know you, and you are an excellent jumper! You can make it!"  
  
"If he can jump, I can jump," the Lion boldly stated. "Ge' on m' back, Scarecrow." The Scarecrow did so, and the Lion sprang up into the air and landed on the other side.  
  
"Why you not start running, like Jack did?" the Scarecrow asked.  
  
"'Cause that's no' the way lions do things!" the Lion replied, almost offended. "Now, I must go back an' ge' Nick." He did so, and then all our heroes were safely across.  
  
"See, my friend," Jack said patting the Lion's mane, "that was a very brave thing."  
  
"Nah, it wasn'."  
  
The forest kept getting thicker. Jack was on his guard for any wild beasts they might encounter. After about an hour, they found an even larger chasm.  
  
"It is not possible for us to jump across that," Jack said thoughtfully.  
  
"No," said Nick, "but that tree looks tall enough to stretch across it. We can make a make-shift bridge."  
  
At that moment, they heard snarls. "Oh no!" the Lion cried out. "It's the Kalidahs!"  
  
Two of the fearful animals charged for our heroes. Jack recognized them. One looked like a formidable bounty hunter he had faced named Leiko. The other looked like a servant of Aku's who called herself Aku Chaos Rune. Jack glared. "You make the bridge," he told the others. "I'll deal with the beasts."  
  
The one who looked like Leiko stared Jack down as he drew his sword. "Mmmm, Japanese steak!" she growled.  
  
Jack screamed a war cry and charged. The monsters brandished their claws, which did look dreadfully sharp. Jack tried to stab them, but their hides were too tough, like elephant skins. Besides, these monsters were quite agile, and Jack kept missing them. Their claws and their fangs often hurt Jack.  
  
"Jack, come on!" Nick cried. The bridge was ready. Jack could see this wasn't much of a fight, so he retreated. He stood in the middle of the bridge and pointed his sword toward the two beasts.  
  
The one that looked like Aku Chaos Rune glared at him. "You really think we're stupid?" They started climbing onto the bridge after him. Jack ran off the bridge, and Nick quickly chopped the bridge down. The Kalidahs fell into the chasm, but as Jack looked down, he could see them climbing up the side with their claws.  
  
"Let's ge' out of here!" the Lion cried.  
  
All the heroes ran for their lives out of the forest. By the time they reached a beautiful meadow, they felt they were out of harm's way.  
  
The road was on the other side of a rushing river before them. Jack looked closely at the river. "The current is too swift. We cannot swim across. We need to make a raft."  
  
"No problem!" Nick assured him. "Making rafts is my specialty!" He and Jack worked on making one together. It took hours, but they made one big enough for everybody. Jack sat in the middle. The Lion almost made the raft topple over, but Nick and the Scarecrow helped balance the weight out. They had two long poles for paddles. Jack made one for him too, just in case they needed some extra help.  
  
At first, it was smooth sailing, but as they reached the middle of the river, the current started to take them away from the road.  
  
"This isn't good!" Nick said. "This rive goes past the Emerald City into Winkie Country in the West, where we will all be made slaves!"  
  
"Paddle harder!" Jack advised. "Fight the current!"  
  
Scarecrow tried to do that, but his paddle got stuck in the mud. He hung on to it, so that he was stuck in the river. That was one thing Jack just could not take. He stood and put his paddle out, so that it stopped the raft. Then he held out his arms and cried out, "Jump!"  
  
"No!" the Scarecrow cried. "I get swept away!"  
  
"You must jump! I will not leave you out here! You will be worse off than when I first met you!"  
  
"All right," the Scarecrow replied nervously. He jumped off the pole and nearly made it to the raft, but then he fell. Luckily, Jack pulled him out just in time.  
  
"Never mind. Perhaps the straw made you clumsier than I thought. You did well, though."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
They made it to the other side of the river, but the Yellow Brick Road was far away. They resolved to find there way back the next day. 


	6. Hazards of a Flower

Chapter 6: Hazards of a Flower  
  
It seemed simple enough. All our heroes had to do was follow the river the opposite direction from which they came to find the road again. They didn't plan on a field of flowers blocking the way. The meadow was carpeted with them everywhere. The flowers had wide petals and brilliant colors, nearly every one of the rainbow.  
  
"What beautiful flowers!" Nick cried. "If I still had my heart, I'd give this whole field to Nimmee Amee as a gift of my love!"  
  
"Yeah, I always liked flowers," the Lion mused. "They're weak 'n frail 'n I can crush 'em easily with m' paws. But there are no flowers quite like these in the forests."  
  
"Pretty," the Scarecrow gaped.  
  
"There's no better carpet to lead us back to the Yellow Brick Road and the Emerald City," Nick concluded. "Let's go!"  
  
"Wait!" Jack suddenly commanded. "I've been told something about these flowers. Something important." He thought back, way back, to when he was a child. He found a flower just like these and picked it for his mother. As he came back home, giggling and holding his present, his father caught sight of it.  
  
"No!" he cried and took the flower away. Little Jack was bewildered at this action. His father looked at him sternly and said, "My son, beware this flower. Refuse it in any form, in a potion, in a powder, even as a flower. It has good qualities to it, like a pleasant smell and brilliant colors. It can help sleep and stop pain. But it does horrible things to the body. En masse, it can even be deadly. Do you understand?"  
  
Little Jack nodded, and his father walked away with the flower. Jack looked up at the others. "Nick, you and the Scarecrow can go through the field. The Lion and I must find a way around it."  
  
"But you get more lost than before!" the Scarecrow protested.  
  
"We cannot go through this field. We will die!"  
  
"Laddie, nothin' ever dies in Oz!" the Lion answered.  
  
"That cannot be true!"  
  
"Well, it is. Besides, I can see that there is no way around this field. It stretches out much too far."  
  
"Then, I suppose we must hold our breaths and try to go as quickly as we can."  
  
Jack tried this at first, but he didn't realize how extensive the field was. The scent of the flowers kept tickling his nose. When he reached the middle of the field, he let his breath go and panted. The flowers' scent came in full force.  
  
At first, Jack felt good. The pain from his battle with the Kalidahs was gone, and a feeling of pleasure rushed over him. But it only lasted for a few seconds. The pleasure went into overload. It felt uncomfortable, like a nightmare. His body began to feel numb all over. Worst of all, he couldn't keep his eyes open. Every step he tried to take in resistance, he became more tired. He breathing slowed down considerably. Jack didn't even realize he plopped down and fell asleep.  
  
  
  
When Jack awoke, he found himself on the grass next to the Yellow Brick Road. "He's back!" the Scarecrow said excitedly.  
  
"Jack, we thought we lost you," Nick said.  
  
"What happened?" Jack said groggily.  
  
"You fell asleep in that flowerbed. Then I remembered when I was warned about poppies when I was a tot. I was told that they cause you to fall asleep and never wake up. We got you out of the flowerbed, away from the scent of the flowers. I was afraid it was too late, but you woke up."  
  
"Thank you," Jack smiled. He sat up and tried to be more awake, when he realized one of their number was missing. "Where's the Lion?"  
  
Nick looked downcast. "I'm sorry, Jack. He was much too heavy. Scarecrow and I couldn't lift him. We had no choice but to leave him behind."  
  
"Perhaps if I helped--"  
  
"No!" the Scarecrow answered. "You fall asleep again."  
  
"You are right. Well, at least in his dreams he is not a coward."  
  
"HELLLLLLLLLLLLP!" a shrill voice cried. Jack looked up to see a tiny mouse being chased by a wildcat.  
  
"Oh dear, that poor mouse!" Nick cried. "She'll be eaten up!"  
  
"Not if I can help it." Jack chased the cat into the woods and swiftly cut off its head. The mouse was still shaking in fear, but Jack gestured gently to it. "It's all right. You are no longer in danger. Come on." He reached out and stroked the mouse's back. Nervously, it crawled into his hand. That was when Jack realized she was wearing a kimono and a tiny crown. "Empress!" he gasped.  
  
She bowed in his hand. "Thank you, great warrior. Thank you for saving me from the beast."  
  
Jack bowed his head back. "It was an honor to serve you. Now, let me introduce your majesty to my friends."  
  
He took the mouse to see Nick and the Scarecrow. "It is a pleasure to meet you," said Nick. "Since I have no heart, I am always careful to make a friend to those who need one, even if they are only a mouse."  
  
"Only a mouse?" the mouse piped up. "I am the Empress of all the field mice!"  
  
"Ooooh, an empress?" the Scarecrow said.  
  
"Yes. Let me show you the subjects of my kingdom." Jack set her down, and she made a high-pitched cry. Immediately, hundreds of mice wearing kimonos and other Oriental clothing surrounded her. They spoke in mouse about the Empress' terrifying ordeal with the wild cat. Then they all came before Jack and bowed. "We are in your debt, great warrior," the Empress said. "We shall fulfill any command you wish."  
  
"I have but one request. Our friend, the lion, is under the spell of the flowers over there, but we cannot carry him out. Will your subjects please work together and do this for us?"  
  
"Oh no! Not with a lion! He'll eat us!"  
  
"I will see to it that he won't. He's my friend, and he will not hurt my other friends."  
  
"Besides, he's a coward," Nick threw in.  
  
"Well, if you say so, but we'll need a cart."  
  
Nick and Jack worked together to make a cart for the mice to pull the lion out. They worked as quickly as they could so they would not lose their friend. The mice worked quickly too, so they wouldn't fall prey to the flowers' dangerous scent. The plan was a success.  
  
Jack bowed to the Empress. "Thank you."  
  
"No, thank you. And if you need us again, just blow this whistle." She handed Jack a tiny whistle. "We'll come as quickly as we can to help you. And now, farewell." She bowed, and the mice scurried off.  
  
The Lion woke up after a while. It took a long time, since he was in the flowerbed for so long. The travelers told him what had happened.  
  
"How strange! Frail flowers nearly did me in, and tiny, meek mice saved m' life?"  
  
"It is not unheard of," Jack answered. "I had heard stories of a mouse who save a lion from a hunter because he spared her from becoming his dinner."  
  
The Lion looked up. "Look there! I see a green castle in the distance!"  
  
"The Emerald City!" Nick cried out eagerly. "We're getting close!"  
  
"Yes," Jack said thoughtfully. "It will not be long now." 


	7. The Wizard's Two Attendants

Chapter 7: The Wizard's Two Attendants  
  
As they walked on, Jack noticed there were houses again. They were the same round shape as the Munchkin houses, but they were green painted instead of blue. The more houses they saw, the closer they were getting to the city.  
  
Finally, our heroes were standing before the huge gates. Jack touched an emerald button on the door, and they heard the tinkling of a tiny bell inside. A young woman dressed all in green came out carrying a green box. Jack recognized her right away. "Koko?"  
  
"Actually, I'm Amber Ombi, the Guard of the Gates. What, may I ask, is your business here?"  
  
"We have come to see the Wizard," Jack replied.  
  
Amber was in so much shock, she dropped the box she was holding. "No one's asked to see the Wizard for years! Don't you know he doesn't see anybody? He won't even let me see him, and I'm one of his main attendants!"  
  
"Don't he get out?" the Scarecrow asked.  
  
"No. He just sits in his throne room all the time, but he is a good ruler. He might see you, but if you come here on a foolish errand, beware for he might destroy you right on the spot."  
  
"Our errand is very important," the Scarecrow answered. "I came to get some brains."  
  
"That shouldn't be a problem. Oz has more brains than he needs. He can spare some for you."  
  
"I came for a heart," Nick told her.  
  
"Oz has many hearts of all shapes and sizes, every make and model. He'll get you one at a reasonable price."  
  
"An' I came fer some courage!" the Lion told her.  
  
"Oh, Oz has a huge pot of courage in his throne room. It's covered with a golden plate to keep it from running over. I think I slipped on some that spilled last week when I gave the Wizard his morning omelet. But what about you sir? What do you want?"  
  
"I only wish to go to my home, to my time, to my people."  
  
"Well, I don't know how the Wizard's gonna do that, but he can do it. I think that's important enough. I'll take you in and see what he says, but first I need all of you to put on these shades." Amber opened the box with a key and pulled out four green sunglasses with elastic bands. "You see, the emeralds produce such a glare in the sunlight they could blind you. Therefore, everyone within the Emerald City walls must wear these shades at all times." The elastic felt so tight against Jack's head he couldn't take the glasses off if he wanted to. But he didn't want to be blinded, so he didn't try. "Now, follow me."  
  
Amber opened the gates. The Emerald City was definitely magnificent. It was bustling with happy people, who seemed to have a green tan. There were emeralds all in the walls and in the streets. Jack liked this city. It had been a long time since he had seen a place so cheerful.  
  
Amber came to a huge building in the middle of the city. In front of the building, a young lady with long, green hair sat reading "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C. S. Lewis. Amber cleared her throat, and the lady looked up. "Yes Amber?"  
  
"I need the hotline."  
  
"What for?"  
  
Amber whispered, "The Whiz has visitors."  
  
"Oh. Interesting."  
  
Jack knew her. She was her unofficial therapist. "SJO?"  
  
"Um, my name's Jellia Jamb, and I'm Ozma—no wait, the Scarecro—no. This is the first book, isn't it? Oh yeah, I mean the Wizard's main attendant."  
  
Amber frowned as she opened up a box in the wall. "I am the Wizard's main attendant! I'm the one who makes him breakfast and dinner!"  
  
"Well, I make his favorite sandwiches for lunch."  
  
"I do his laundry!"  
  
"I'm around his palace 24-7. And he nearly told me one of his secrets last time."  
  
"You're both his main attendants!" Nick cried out. "Now will you please work on getting us to see the Wizard?"  
  
"Oh yeah," Amber said. She opened up that box again.  
  
The Lion meanwhile looked at the book Jellia was reading. "There's a lion in this?"  
  
"Yes, Aslan."  
  
"Does he have courage?"  
  
"Definitely. Here, this chapter talks about when he sacrifices himself on the Stone Table." Nick was disturbed by this and began to cry. "Oh, don't worry. He comes back to life."  
  
Meanwhile, Jack listened to Koko's conversation. "Sir, you have guests. One wants a heart. One wants a brain. One wants courage. And one wants to go home." She pulled the phone away from her ear. It was evident that he was yelling at her. "Yes, I know you don't want to be disturbed, but it's best not to get on these people's bad side. The Scarecrow looks harmless, but there's a lion, and a tin man with an axe, and a very dangerous looking man with a sword . . . OK, I saw outside that he's wearing a white robe. He must be a skilled sorcerer. And he has black hair, and he has sandals, and a sword . . . It's black with golden diamonds on the handle. It looks like an ordinary sword to me, sir . . . Hang on, let me ask. Sir, is your sword enchanted?"  
  
"It can defeat a great evil demon."  
  
There wasn't much of a conversation after that. After she hung up, she called the guests together. "OK, here's the deal. The Wizard's pretty ticked off that you've come to disturb him. But, he will see you tomorrow. However, you must come in alone, and when you are summoned. And he wants to see you first," she said pointing to Jack.  
  
Jack nodded. "Very well."  
  
"Jellia! Shows these people their rooms!"  
  
"Come with me!" Jellia instructed. She led them into the palace and gave them each a room for the night.  
  
Jack put on a special emerald robe he found in his room for the wizard. Jellia came for him at about 10:00 in the morning. "Are you really going to see the Great Oz?" she asked him.  
  
"Of course, if he shall see me."  
  
"Will you tell me what it is like?"  
  
"Why, do you not know?"  
  
"No. When I come into his throne, he's hidden behind a screen. He only communicates to Amber and me through the hotline."  
  
"He has the coolest voice!" Amber said as she passed them by.  
  
"But I have heard that when he does appear to people, he takes on a different form every time. No one knows what he really looks like."  
  
Jack's eyes narrowed.  
  
A bell rang from somewhere inside the palace. "That's your cue," Jellia said. "Good luck."  
  
Jack had his hand grasped firmly on the hilt of his sword. The throne room was impressive. It had a round roof full of emeralds and a gem-studded throne. Floating above the throne was a gigantic head with no body. It looked frightening and glowed with an eerie, green light.  
  
"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible."  
  
Jack glared. There was no mistaking that voice.  
  
It was Aku. 


	8. The Wizard's Decree

Chapter 8: The Wizard's Decree  
  
Jack started to draw his sword but then stopped. Everybody so far had said that Oz was a good wizard and a good ruler. It could be that the wizard was appearing to him as Aku for a reason.  
  
"Who are you, and why do you seek me?" the wizard demanded.  
  
Jack decided not to let his guard down. He would not attack now, but if the wizard attempted to attack him or gave any indication that he was evil, Jack would let him have it. For now, he'll just assume Oz was a good wizard.  
  
So Jack bowed low before the huge head. "I am Samurai Jack, the Low and the . . ." (what would be a good word here?) "Mortal. I have come from afar seeking your mystical power."  
  
The wizard stared him down for a time, then said, "Where did you get that sword?"  
  
"It belonged to my father. After I had trained for many years, my parents gave it to me."  
  
"What do you wish for me to do?"  
  
"An evil wizard named Aku stole me from my land and my time to a place where he ultimately rules the world. I wish for you to send me back to my time, to my home, that I may destroy this wizard once and for all."  
  
"Why should I do this for you?"  
  
"Because you have the power, and I do not. If you do not send me back, your world will be corrupted by Aku's evil, and even you will not be able to stop it."  
  
"Very well, samurai. I shall send you to your home. But first, you must do something for me. No one in my domain gets something for nothing."  
  
"I expected this, Your Majesty," Jack answered. He was sure to pay close attention to the wizard's request. "What do you wish for me to do?"  
  
"Destroy the Wicked Wizard of the West."  
  
Jack stood up. That sounded noble enough, but it could be a trap. "Is this the wizard who makes everyone who enters his domain his slaves?"  
  
"He is. Remember, he is a wicked wizard, and before you can go to your home to defeat this Aku, you must destroy him first."  
  
"It shall be done. I thank you."  
  
Jack turned to leave, but then the wizard growled, "THAT'S IT?!? No crying, no complaining, no, 'But I never killed anything willfully in my life"? You're just going to do it?"  
  
Jack turned back to look at him one last time. "You forget, I am a samurai. Destroying wizards is what I have been trained to do."  
  
He met with his friends outside the palace and told him the whole thing. "But he asked you to do the impossible!" Nick cried. "You can't destroy the Wicked Wizard of the West because no one dies in Oz!"  
  
"I do not understand that theory," Jack cried. "How can no one die in Oz when I saw the Wicked Witch of the East die before my eyes?"  
  
Jellia, who was sitting nearby reading her book, looked up for a second. "Trust me, if you live here long enough, you'll see that Oz is the land of inconsistencies."  
  
At that moment, a bell rang. "That means Oz is ready to see the next one of you," Amber announced. "He doesn't care which order you come in."  
  
"I go," the Scarecrow said. He followed Jellia Jamb down the hallway. About a half an hour later, he came back and said, "I no see a huge head. I saw pretty lady."  
  
"I bet she looked much like Nimmee Amee," Jack said thoughtfully.  
  
"Don't know. She needed a heart more than Nick, though. She said she give me brains if I destroyed the Wicked Wizard of the West."  
  
"But that is my quest!"  
  
"I know! I told her so, but she said, 'I don't care who kills him! I just want him dead!'"  
  
"Well, I hope when I see Oz, he will appear as this lady," Nick said. "A head would not have a heart thus not understand my plight, but if he appears as a lady, I shall beg for a heart and she will feel sorry for me. Ladies are said to be very kind-hearted."  
  
He went next, but he came back looking very fearful. "He appeared as a gigantic beast with five arms and five legs! He said he'd give me a heart if I destroyed the Wicked Wizard of the West. Well, at least he said he'll do it."  
  
"I'm next," said the Lion, "and whatever he is, I shall frighten him with m' roar."  
  
Jack chuckled to himself. That would be an awkward approach for someone who desires courage.  
  
Several minutes later, the Lion ran back out of the throne screaming. "It was a fire! A great, big ball of fire! He said he'd give me courage if I-- "  
  
"Destroy the Wicked Wizard of the West," everybody said in unison.  
  
"Well, yeah."  
  
"There is no need to put all of you in danger," Jack told them. "I shall go alone."  
  
"Oh, no ye don'," the Lion replied. "I may be a coward, but this wizard will dare not hurt you with me around!"  
  
"Though I don't have the heart to destroy even a Wicked Wizard, I am sure you will need my help," Nick said.  
  
"I come with you, too," the Scarecrow said, "but I don't know how I can help you, I am such a fool."  
  
"Well, if you must come with me," Jack nodded, "I suppose you can. This task will not be hard. All I need is my sword."  
  
So they decided to start the journey the next day. Jack talked with the two attendants. "What is the road to the country in the west."  
  
"There is no road," Amber answered rolling her eyes. "No one wants to go there."  
  
"We have no choice. Oz ordered us to destroyed the Wizard who rules there."  
  
"Oh, that's different. Nobody has destroyed him before. You better be careful, though. He's very powerful and mean, and he may not allow you to destroy him."  
  
"But Winkie Country isn't hard to miss," Jellia spoke up. "Just head toward the setting sun. If you see any houses, they will be painted yellow. And you'll see yellow flowers and yellow birds and yellow butterflies. The Winkies really like yellow. It's odd, though, because it is said that the Wizard cannot stand light."  
  
"And of course, the Wizard will make you his slaves once you step foot into his domain," Amber said matter-of-factly. Suddenly, a bell rang. "Oh, someone's at the main gate. I gotta go!" She grabbed the box of shades and walked on.  
  
Jellia motioned Jack in and whispered, "I'll keep an eye on you."  
  
"How will you do that?" Jack said.  
  
"Shh!" Jellia said. "Follow me." She led Jack and his friends back into her office where a very elaborate picture hung over her desk. "I jokingly call this the Picture of Erised." Jack looked at her questioningly. "Desire spelled backwards. You really need to read more. It shows whatever you want to see."  
  
"The Wizard made this?"  
  
"Oh, it's been around long before the Wizard. It's real magic, and few people know about it. I can use it to see how you're doing."  
  
"Uh, can I use it real quick?" Nick asked. "I'd like to see how Nimmee Amee is doing."  
  
"Be my guest."  
  
Nick stood before it, and the picture quickly changed. It showed Nimmee dressed in white and walking out of a cute chapel, with a man of flesh holding her arm.  
  
"Oh, she got married. She must have decided she couldn't wait any longer for me to find a heart. Well, I'll find someone else once I get one."  
  
"May I use it?" Jack asked.  
  
"Sure."  
  
Jack stood before the picture, and it changed again. He also saw an elaborate ceremony that he recognized right away. Tears filled his eyes. "They think I am dead."  
  
His ancient father and his old mother led the procession. Jack also saw a young woman with big eyes that he recognized as his cricket friend. There was an old samurai and a young samurai, the people Jack had met when he chose his destiny. Many other people were in the procession as well that Jack didn't recognize.  
  
Then, Jack's father turned to them. "We must not give up hope, my friends. The Evil One has not said what truly happened to my son. It could be he is still alive, and he will return to us."  
  
Jack looked up. "We must not waste time. Let us go."  
  
So they left the Emerald City. Amber collected their shades, wished them luck, and went back inside. They started going west when Jack stopped. "Curious. I had put on one of those emerald robes this morning, but I am in my old robes again."  
  
"Perhaps it is magic," the Scarecrow suggested.  
  
"Yes," Jack said quietly. "Perhaps it is." 


	9. In the Western Domain

Chapter 9: In the Western Domain  
  
Jack did notice the country looked more yellow, but it was a wasteland. He would almost guess that this was a desert, had he not known about the desert that surrounded the country. He was surprised that nothing had happened yet. The Lion was definitely hyped about it.  
  
"I'm so scared o' this wizard. I don' want to be a slave!"  
  
"We shall not be enslaved, unless it is necessary. I will see to it."  
  
The heat was making Jack tired again, but not like the unhealthily tired he got from the poppies. He and the lion stopped to take a nap.  
  
Some time later, Nick shook them awake. "Wake up! We're being attacked!"  
  
Jack looked up sleepily to see a pack of fierce wolves. "Mmmm," the Lion said. "That nap made me 'ungry!" With a loud roar, he charged at the wolves and started tearing them apart. Even at that, Jack could see he was outnumbered, and he started to fight alongside the Lion. Nick joined in, too. Together, they took care of all the wolves.  
  
"Wonder what wolves are doing all the way out here?" Nick mused.  
  
"They must have been sent," Jack replied. As he spoke, the sky darkened, but not with clouds.  
  
"Crows!" the Scarecrow cried. "Everybody down!" The Scarecrow stood in his pose as Jack first saw him in the cornfield. The crows were reluctant to attack, but then the leader pointed out he was only made out of straw. As they flew down, Jack jumped up and hit every bird he could. Nick helped out. The Scarecrow grabbed birds flying his way and twisted their heads off. Soon, that danger was over.  
  
Then, they heard an unearthly buzz. "Looks like bees," Nick observed. "Everybody cover yourselves in the Scarecrow's straw, and you should be safe." They did so. Nick stood in front of them. The bees tried to sting him, but the tin tore their stings from their bodies and rendered them harmless.  
  
So our heroes continued on, wondering if the Wicked Wizard was done with them yet. Then, something unusual happened. It looked almost like the clouds were swooping together toward the heroes. It wasn't until they were too close that Jack realized what they were: the snow gorillas with wings. Leading them was a woman in a black dress with huge, bat wings. "There they are!" she pointed. "Get them!"  
  
The winged snow flew down and attacked. "Talk to them," the Scarecrow said. "Perhaps they'll listen to you."  
  
"Don't know gorilla!" the Scarecrow cried. It didn't seem reason would work anyway. They were already fiercely attacking the Lion.  
  
Jack drew his sword to fight, but it did little good. They kept darting him, and he couldn't keep up without wings of his own. Suddenly, one winged gorilla grabbed the sword out of his hands. As Jack chased him, the woman in the lead grabbed him by the wrist and started to fly.  
  
Jack looked helplessly as the winged gorillas pulled the Scarecrow completely apart and threw poor Nick into a valley of jagged rocks. Jack struggled, fearful of what they had planned to do to him.  
  
The leading woman grinned mischievously at him. "Do not be afraid, little man. You do not have an immediate end. That is for the Wizard of the West to decide." 


	10. Jack and the Wizard of the West

Chapter 10: Jack and the Wizard of the West  
  
The winged woman flew Jack over to an ominous castle and led him to the main throne room, which was pitch black. She bowed before an entity Jack couldn't see and said, "Here is the man you wished to see. We dare not harm him, for he is clearly an agent of good. Your power over our band is over. You will never see us again." So saying, she backed away into the darkness and disappeared.  
  
Jack looked up into the darkness. He could not make out any kind of form, but he saw two eyes open and stare right into his soul. Jack knew he knew the entity. What could it be?  
  
"So," the being said in a raspy whisper, "you are the one who destroyed my fiancÃ©e."  
  
"You speak of the Wicked Witch of the East?" Jack said uncomfortably.  
  
The entity groaned, in an affirmative manner. "We were going to marry, then overthrow the Wizard of Oz and rule this pathetic country."  
  
"I was involved in that, yes, but you cannot blame me. Nature herself caused the great wind who brought the large house to this land--"  
  
"SILENCE!" the wizard demanded. His voice made the walls shake, but it was barely over a whisper. "You will pay dearly for this crime. Forevermore, you shall be my slave. If you ever attempt to escape, you will die. I hoped you had enjoyed those moments in the sun, for they will be your last."  
  
Jack would have asked right there what the wizard had done with his sword, but then unseen minions pushed him out and set him to his tasks. They were very unpleasant and included cleaning and gathering ingredients for magic potions. The worst thing was that he wasn't allowed any light, save for a very dim torch. He didn't give up hope, though. He knew his sword had to be somewhere, and once he found it he would take this wizard down.  
  
One evening, as he was cleaning the chimney flu, he could hear a loud conversation outside.  
  
"We've come to harness you like a horse to this cart."  
  
"No! I won' let ye do it! If ye come any closer, I'll bite ye!"  
  
"Fine. Enjoy starvation."  
  
So, this was the fate of the Lion. That evening, Jack snuck out of the castle with some scraps from his last dinner. "Lion!" Jack whispered.  
  
"Who's there?"  
  
"It's Jack."  
  
"Ah, Jack. Sorry, laddie, I've just been kinda pressured lately."  
  
"So I've heard." Jack gave him the bits of food. "It is not much, but it is much better than no food at all."  
  
"Sure is." The Lion gobbled it up. "So, have you thought of any ideas of getting out of here?"  
  
"I must concentrate on defeating the Wizard first."  
  
"You sure? I'd rather get out of here."  
  
"Perhaps you are a coward. We came to destroy this wizard, and that is what we are going to do. I just wish I could see. Why is he so particular about the darkness? And what has he done with my sword?"  
  
"Well, can ye defeat him without yer sword?"  
  
"I had a friend who advised me that if I lost my own sword, I should find another. It is going to be hard to find anything in the dark, though."  
  
But Jack searched the castle, up and down, and couldn't find his sword anywhere. Luckily, in his rare jobs in the throne room, he found a huge axe hanging on the wall. His hand happened to come across it. Yet, he soon found out what was harder than finding a weapon in the dark was fighting the mysterious entity in the dark. He hit the being several times, but most of the time was a clean miss. One time, he hit the wall and heard shattering glass. A harsh ray of sunlight told him he found what used to be a window, and that it was afternoon. The entity screamed. The light fell on its face. Jack could not believe his eyes.  
  
"Aku!"  
  
"Curse you!" the Wizard yelled. "Do you not know that sunlight would be the end of me?"  
  
Jack was hardly listening. "How could you be here and the Emerald City at the same time?"  
  
"Emerald City!" Aku groaned. "I had no ties with the Emerald City since I chased the Wizard of Oz out of my domain!"  
  
Jack was confused. Aku swore revenge and faded away. 


	11. Back to the Emerald City

Chapter 11: Back to the Emerald City  
  
Jack stood still, bewildered. This could not be. Aku is not destroyed by sunlight. When he was Ikra, they traveled for days under a cloudless, scorching, desert sky. Aku had no problems with that. Could this simply be a metaphor? And if he was the Wizard of the West, then who was the Wizard of Oz?  
  
The Winkies found the sunlight streaming through the room. "Where is the Wizard?"  
  
"He is gone," Jack answered.  
  
"Have you killed him?"  
  
"Yes. I think so."  
  
The Winkies cheered loudly. "We are free!" They celebrated by shattering all the dark windows in the castle, letting the yellow sunlight through. Jack used the light to look for his sword. He finally found it hanging in a cabinet. He swooped it around a couple of times to make sure it was not enchanted. Then, something else caught his eye. In the same cabinet was a cap made out of gold and decorated with several precious jewels. "Perhaps I should take this as proof that the Wizard is gone," Jack thought to himself  
  
Jack went out and freed the Lion. He was really quite happy to hear he wasn't a slave anymore, but he felt lonely without their friends. So Jack called the Winkies together. "Are there any tinsmiths among you?"  
  
"Yes, sir. Many of us are excellent tinsmiths!"  
  
"There is a man made of tin in a valley of jagged rocks. If you can find him and repair him for me, I shall be grateful."  
  
"We will be very honored to help you, since you destroyed the Wizard."  
  
So they went out and did this. Jack and the Lion went to find the Scarecrow. The Winged Gorillas had thrown all of the Scarecrow's body high up in a tree, but Jack cut it down and brought it back to the palace. They went back to the castle and replenished their old friend with new straw until he was good as new. Meanwhile, the Winkies had found Nick Chopper and were fixing him. As he was being repaired, Nick was thanking them and even cracking jokes. The Winkies really enjoyed him.  
  
Jack announced that they needed to make their way back to the Emerald City. The Winkies lavished all of our heroes with rich gifts, most of which Jack refused. "Please come back to us, great sorcerer," the lead Winkie said. "We are in need of a new ruler."  
  
"I cannot be the one to rule over you," Jack said, "but you enjoy the company of my friend, Nicholas Chopper. Perhaps he will be your ruler."  
  
The Winkies loved that idea, and Nick was agreeable as well. "Once I get a heart from the Wizard of Oz, I will come straight back to you. I will be more to you than a king, I shall be an emperor!"  
  
Thus, they went on. Jack knew the way back would be toward the rising sun in the east, but at noon, when the sun was over their heads they got confused. They even got more lost when the sky became cloudy.  
  
"It would be so much easier if there was a road," Jack complained. "Or at least a pathway." He sat down and reached into his robe to find his straw hat, so the sun wouldn't beat on his head, but as he did he something tiny fell into his hand. "It's the whistle the Empress of the Field Mice gave me."  
  
"Do you suppose they show us the way back?" the Scarecrow asked.  
  
"We can certainly give it a try." Jack stood up and gave it a blow. It gave a high-pitched, piping sound. Immediately, the Empress and several other field mice came running.  
  
"Good afternoon, Jack," she bowed. "What can we do for you?"  
  
"Could you please lead us back to the City of Emeralds?"  
  
"Sure, but it will be a long walk. No offense, but you guys are way off."  
  
"That's what I thought."  
  
The golden cap Jack had hanging with his sword glittered in the sun, and the tiny empress regarded it. "What's that? Is that the Golden Cap of Quelala?"  
  
"I never heard of that. It is only proof that the Wicked Wizard is destroyed."  
  
"Well, if it is what I think it is, it will help you get to the Emerald City much faster than we could. Look inside the rim. Do you see a tag that looks like washing instructions? That's actually directions to use a very powerful charm that summons the Winged Monkeys."  
  
"I do not think we would want to do that."  
  
"Oh, did the Wicked Wizard send them after you? Don't worry. The monkeys are neither good nor evil. They only follow the commands of the owner of the cap. But be careful. The charm can only be used three times."  
  
"I shall keep that in mind."  
  
"Good. Now, we better be getting on. The monkeys are infamous for being prankster, and he might hurt my people or me."  
  
"Very well. Thank you for your advice, and farewell." They bowed to each other, and the mice scurried off.  
  
Jack read the charm very carefully. It reminded him very strongly of an African ritual. After he thought he had memorized it, he placed it on his head and stood. The others weren't quite sure what he was doing.  
  
Jack stood on his left foot and chanted, "Ep-pe, pep-pe, kak-ke!"  
  
"What?" the Scarecrow asked.  
  
"Shh!" the Lion said sharply.  
  
Then Jack stood on his right foot and said, "Hil-lo, hol-lo, hel-lo!"  
  
"Hello?" Nick answered.  
  
Finally, Jack stood on both feet and completed the chant. "Ziz-zy, zuz-zy, zik!" At that, they saw the strange sight that looked like the clouds coming down, when it was really the many Winged Monkeys greeting them. The woman with batwings appeared right in front of Jack.  
  
"Oh, so you escaped from the Wizard! Good for you! I had a feeling that you would. I would have helped out, but I'm not supposed to interfere. Now, what would you like for us to do?"  
  
"Please take us to the City of Emeralds."  
  
"Certainly. We'll carry you." As she spoke these words, she and another Winged Gorilla formed a chair with their arms to carry Jack through the air. It was certainly much more comfortable than being carried by the wrist. The other Winged Gorillas did the same for the others; about four had to make one for the Lion.  
  
Jack finally got a good look at the leader. "Are you not the Goddess of Death?"  
  
"Not really. I was just like them, before the curse. It's a long story, but since we have a long ride, I could tell it to you."  
  
The woman began to remember, but she didn't flashback, probably because the story took place before her times.  
  
"A couple of generations ago, before the Great Oz came out of the sky, we were free. We lived in the forests and called no one master. But in our country was a princess and a sorceress whom everyone loved. To her dismay, though, she could love no one in return. Everyone seemed too simple to her. At last, she found a man named Quelala who was wise beyond his years. She used her magic to make him handsome and young, and they became engaged. But on the night he was to be married, my grandfather wanted to play a prank on him. We were always big into pranks, you see. Quelala was in a very exquisite outfit of silk and velvet, but my grandfather grabbed him, flew him over the river, and dumped him. Quelala actually enjoyed the joke, but the sorceress was furious! She nearly ordered us all to be drowned, but Quelala pleaded on our behalf. So, instead she put a charm on this cap that we may be slaves three times for one master. She also transformed my grandfather and all in his family into this awkward shape to make us suitable leaders. I didn't really understand why."  
  
"How many times have you fell subject to the charm?"  
  
"Well, she first gave the cap to Quelala, who made one wish to drive us far away from his bride. We didn't have to do anything until the Wicked Wizard got it somehow. He made us drive out the Wizard from the West, to make the Winkies the Wizard's slaves, and to get you. But now you have the cap, and here we are."  
  
"You've been punished long enough. If I can find a way to free you, I shall do it."  
  
"You will? That would be wonderful! My people would be so happy to be free again!"  
  
By then, they had reached the Emerald City. The leader set Jack down, and then the Monkeys disappeared.  
  
Amber greeted them at the door. "Strange. Jellia guessed you'd be here this evening, and here you are! Wonder how she knew? So, what brings you here?"  
  
"We have destroyed the Wicked Wizard, and have come to claim Oz's promise," Jack answered.  
  
"Well, let's get you in, then. You know the drill." Amber distributed out shades for them, and brought them in.  
  
Jack looked down at his robe. "How strange!" he thought aloud. "My robe is the emerald green one I wore from here. Is this magic?"  
  
Jellia and Amber tried to persuade the heroes to wait until tomorrow morning, but everyone thought Oz had more than enough time and demanded to see him right then. Jellia finally led them all into the throne room. Everyone expected to see Oz the way they had before, but they were surprised to see nothing.  
  
"Back so soon?" that Aku-like voice growled.  
  
"Enough!" Jack cried. "I know you are not who you claim to be."  
  
"What is that to you?" the voice answered.  
  
"Where are you, Oz?" the Scarecrow asked.  
  
"Everywhere. To your eyes, I am invisible. But right now I'm standing right next to the Lion." The Lion jumped a mile high as the voice chuckled. "And now I will sit on my throne that I may converse with you." As he spoke, the voice seemed to come right from the throne itself. "Why do you seek me!"  
  
"We have come to claim our promise!" Jack demanded. "The Wizard has been destroyed, as you have requested."  
  
"Well, you have done something right for once. I will grant your wishes tomorrow."  
  
"We have time enough!" Nick cried. "We won't wait another second!"  
  
The lion must have thought he could scare the Wizard into granting their wishes, for he roared his loudest roar. It knocked over a screen that revealed an assortment of visual aids.  
  
"Look here! The dress the woman wore when I saw wizard!" the Scarecrow cried.  
  
"And here is the beast!" Nick said. "It's just a bunch of animal skins sewn together!"  
  
They also found a huge head made out of paper, a lamp, a cotton ball, matches, and gasoline (the Lion's ball of fire).  
  
"We have been deceived!" Jack cried.  
  
"Dare you question the magic of the great Oz?" the voice demanded.  
  
Jack turned to see movement behind a curtain on the other side of the room. "I do!" he said. "You are no wizard! I have had enough of your deception!" He drew his sword and slashed the curtain open.  
  
Jack couldn't believe his eyes. 


	12. The Wizard's "Magic"

Chapter 12: The Wizard's "Magic"  
  
"The Wizard o' Oz is . . . you?" the Lion asked Jack, confused.  
  
Jack's eyes narrowed and shook his head. "My dark side."  
  
Sitting in front of them was another samurai who looked almost exactly like Jack. He wore a black robe with red trim. His eyes glinted red, and he had a twisted, evil grin from ear to ear.  
  
"The Munchkins said you were a sorcerer, didn't they?" the false wizard snickered. "These people will believe anything."  
  
"How did you know that?"  
  
"I'm you! I see everything you see!"  
  
"Then why does it not work the other way around?"  
  
"I don't know! I'm a wizard, not an Einstein!" Jack raised an eyebrow. "Something new I picked up."  
  
"Why did you pretend to be Aku?"  
  
"I was humoring you."  
  
"You're a fraud!" Nick cried. "You're a humbug!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever."  
  
"Least he's blind," the Scarecrow observed.  
  
Mad Jack pointed right at him. "Say that again you big bag of hay!"  
  
"It's true," Jack said. "You are not wearing the glasses."  
  
"Oh, so that's the deal, eh?" Mad Jack walked over and pulled Jack's sunglasses back. Jack could see that there was nothing blinding about this room, and it looked more like white than it did emerald green. Before he could question what he was seeing, Mad Jack snapped the shades back.  
  
"OW!" Jack couldn't stop himself from crying out.  
  
"Everybody here wanted an emerald city. They thought I was made out of emeralds. So, I just built a regular city and made up the thing about the emeralds being blinding. The shades are just green tinted."  
  
"You are very bad man!" the Scarecrow cried.  
  
Mad Jack grinned even bigger. "Oh yeah!"  
  
"You are even a worse wizard," Jack told him.  
  
"Uh-huh. But I make a pretty good con, don't I?"  
  
"But what about my heart?" Nick cried.  
  
"And m' courage!" the Lion growled.  
  
"And my brains!" the Scarecrow asked.  
  
"Even an evil samurai can never go back on his promises," Jack reminded.  
  
Mad Jack threw his hands in the air. "You idiots! Haven't you been listening? You had all those things all along! It's been right under your noses! Frankly, you guys are the stupidest people I have ever seen!"  
  
There was silence for a few seconds. Then all three of Jack's friends argued at once about how they wanted something tangible.  
  
Finally, Mad Jack groaned. "All right, all right! I'll get you your stupid gifts."  
  
He reached in from that little closet they had discovered and pulled out a spike. He drove it into the Scarecrow's head. "There. Now you're sharp."  
  
Next, he pulled out his sword and etched out a heart on Nick's chest. Poor Nick screamed in pain. After his work, Mad Jack grinned. "Lesson one: love hurts."  
  
Finally, he pulled out a bottle of Extra, Extra Hot Sauce. "Bottoms up, kitty!" He opened up the Lion's huge mouth and poured the whole bottle in. Afterwards, the Lion coughed and tried to shake the tears out of his watery eyes. "Now you have that fire in your belly!"  
  
"More like in m' throat!" the Lion gasped.  
  
"I'll bet you'll sweat it off in no time."  
  
"And now, my promise," Jack said smiling. He was interested to see what his dark side will do for this one.  
  
"Oh, I have a way home. I'll have it ready by tomorrow."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Come tomorrow around noon and see! Now get out of here!"  
  
  
  
Jack slept in a little later than usual. He met his friends right outside the palace. "Scarecrow? Did you take out your new brains?"  
  
"No. Nick just helped me cut them down and put them in my head. I didn't want to poke anybody's eyes out. They still work beautifully. I spent all night thinking excellent thoughts."  
  
Jack was impressed. Scarecrow's voice sounded smoother, and he was speaking correct grammar. Perhaps the false brains had some kind of positive effect.  
  
"And how are you enjoying your new gift?" Jack asked Nick.  
  
"Oh, it still stings," Nick answered, but then sighed, "but it is the sweetest ache in the world."  
  
"Aye, and m' throat is still burnin' but I feel like I can take on anything! Come on, Laddie, show me what ye got!"  
  
"I will not fight a friend," Jack answered laughing.  
  
"Awwwe, come on!"  
  
Around noon, all the Emerald City gathered around the palace. Mad Jack had made a hot air balloon with the Empire's symbol on a black background. Jack had no idea how that would get him home, but at least it will take him across that deadly desert. He and his three friends stood with Mad Jack at the front as he addressed the crowd.  
  
"I'm going far away to visit some old friends. While I'm gone, by the power invested in me, yada yada yada, follow the straw bag over there, 'cause he's smart. And now, I'm outta here!"  
  
Mad Jack stepped into the balloon, and Jack came in as well. "Ah ah ah!" Mad Jack said shaking his finger. "Who said anything about YOU coming?" So saying, he pushed a surprised Jack out of the gondola. Mad Jack cackled loudly and cut the rope that anchored the balloon to the ground.  
  
"Oh no you don't!" Amber grabbed a loose rope and pulled herself up into the gondola. "Look, who's gonna make you omelets in the morning?"  
  
"Gotta point," Mad Jack answered. "Right now, I think I need some sugar!" He grabbed her and gave her a sudden kiss. Jack stood and watched the balloon until it disappeared from sight. Just before it went out of earshot, Mad Jack laughed one more time and yelled, "I'm finally getting out of this dump! Sayonara, losers!"  
  
As the crowd dispersed, Jack drew his sword, screamed, and plunged it into the street. He stayed that way for many minutes, seething in anger and sorrow.  
  
"Please, Jack, stay with us," the Scarecrow pleaded. "You will never have to worry about Aku anymore."  
  
"It is true," Jack whispered. "All evil seems to have been driven from this place. But my conscience will always be plagued knowing that my parents and all my people will forever be slaves."  
  
"Don't go on like this!" Nick said. "I'll cry, and I'll rust again!"  
  
Jack handed him a piece of his robe. "Here. Dry your eyes."  
  
"Perhaps you can call the Winged Monkeys?" the Scarecrow suggested.  
  
"They cannot fly across time," Jack answered. "I would waste one use of the charm. Perhaps I could go on another quest. This is a land of magic. Maybe there's a time portal or someone somewhere who knows such a power. But if this land believed the most powerful wizard was my dark side, my hope would be very grim indeed."  
  
Jellia sat beside Jack. "Sorry. I couldn't help overhearing."  
  
Jack looked up at her. "You didn't go with him?"  
  
"No. There wasn't much of a point once I saw he had nothing to offer. I always suspected he was a phony, really, ever since that one night I nearly accidentally took off my shades and saw things as they were."  
  
"Then why did you worked for him?"  
  
"'Cause it was a much sweeter job than working for E-Mart. And I thought he might know a thing or two."  
  
"Which reminds me," the Scarecrow asked, "who do you think should take Amber's place?"  
  
"Nobody, of course! You're not going to be so strict about not seeing anybody, and I think it's time we enjoy how this city really looks, without the shades." So saying, she fought to take off the shades herself. "See? Things look much better when they're in many colors, not just one.  
  
"But, anyway, as I was going to say, I think you probably should go south and see Glinda."  
  
"Who is she?" Jack asked.  
  
"She's the Good Witch of the South and ruler of Quadling Country. She's very powerful, for real this time. Her palace is on the edge of the desert, so she may have an idea of how to cross it. In fact, I'll bet she already has an idea to send you through time, and she has been waiting to tell it to you."  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"Well, it is said she has a book that records everything important that ever happens in Oz. She reads it on a regular basis. She probably already knows you're here and has been working to solve your problem. She will be very helpful, too. Many say she is as good as she is beautiful. But the only way to find out is to go down and see her. She is directly south of the Emerald City. Just be careful. The journey is much more dangerous than any you have faced yet here were. A lot of people on the journey and very territorial. You might want to hang on to that Golden Cap. You probably need to use it a time or two."  
  
"Thank you for your advice," Jack said bowing to her.  
  
"Hey, no problem," Jellia smiled.  
  
"Goodbye, my friends. May your new lives bring you much prosperity and happiness."  
  
"Why do you say that?" Nick said.  
  
"I am not putting you in danger. You have what you wished for. Now let me go alone."  
  
"No!" Scarecrow answered. "You rescued me from the corn field. I got to return the favor."  
  
"My new heart will not rest until I see you home," Nick answered. "Besides, who knows? You might need an extra blade."  
  
"I just gotta go with ye because city life doesn't agree with me," the Lion said. "I wanna find a new home on m' way to helpin' ye."  
  
"Well, I suppose there is no stopping you," Jack answered. "Let's go."  
  
Jellia called after the Scarecrow, "Just make sure you come back soon! Remember, you're our new ruler!" 


	13. A Journey Gone South

Chapter 13: A Journey Gone South  
  
Jack took one last look at the Emerald City before going on. "Nice place," he whispered.  
  
"They were very good to us," Nick agreed.  
  
"I don' know," the Lion said. "It was hard being cooped up in a room every night, and the cobblestone was startin' to hurt m' paws. I'll be glad to get back to the woods."  
  
The journey south was very pleasant at first, with rolling, green meadows with lovely flowers. Jack was beginning to wonder where this danger he was warned about could be.  
  
Then they came to a thick forest. The trees stood narrowly together, and there was no way around the forest. The Scarecrow decided to find a way to squeeze through first. As he tried, though, he was thrown back.  
  
"What happened?" Jack asked.  
  
"It was so strange! The trees just bent down their front branches and threw me aside!"  
  
"Well, that was rude," Nick observed. "There's another space over there. Perhaps the trees aren't as disagreeable over there."  
  
The Scarecrow tried, but the trees threw him away over there too.  
  
"Maybe all they need is some diplomacy," the Scarecrow suggested. So he went up and talked to the trees, setting up a treaty or something. They still threw him away.  
  
"Try politeness," Nick suggested. And the Scarecrow did, with the same results.  
  
"It's no use," Jack said. "These trees have no ears to hear our pleas. There is only one thing to do. Nick, you get the trees on the left. I'll get the trees on the right."  
  
Jack drew his sword. He and Nick immediately whacked off the branches that tried to pick them up and toss them. The foursome ran through the gap as quickly as they could. To Jack's surprise, the trees had no problems with them after that.  
  
"Maybe they were just guarding something," Jack suggested.  
  
"But what could that possibly be?" the Scarecrow asked.  
  
They found out as soon as they made it through the forest. A big white structure that sparkled in the sun came into view.  
  
"What is that?" Nick asked.  
  
"A great wall of china," the Scarecrow answered.  
  
"No it is not!" Jack argued, who had seen the real Great Wall of China.  
  
"Why not? It is a great wall, and it's made out of china."  
  
The Lion thumped the wall with his toe. "Well, so it is."  
  
"Whatever it is, we must get over it," Jack observed.  
  
"Good thing I brought some wood," Nick said. "I can make us a ladder." And he did. Jack agreed to hold the ladder steady as the others climbed up.  
  
Nick climbed up first. "Oh my!" he said as he looked up over the side.  
  
"What?" the Lion asked.  
  
"You'll find out when you come up here," Nick called down. He sat on the wall as the Scarecrow climbed up.  
  
"Oh my!" he said.  
  
The Lion was next. "Well, I'll be!"  
  
Jack came last. He didn't say anything, but his face was full of awe.  
  
Behind the wall was a city made entirely out of china. There were people living normal lives with clothes Easter-egg colors and perfectly smooth, white skin.  
  
"How are we going to get down?" Nick asked.  
  
"You can jump on me. I won't get hurt, and you won't break anything." So they did. Jack could barely stand on the slippery china ground of the country. In the end, he had to take off his sandals.  
  
"We must walk as cautiously as possible," Jack said. "We do not want to cause any harm to these delicate people."  
  
But as he spoke, he and his friends ventured toward a milkmaid milking a china cow. Seeing the strange people made out of flesh, straw, and metal must have startled the poor cow, for she kicked her back leg, breaking it and chipping the maid's shoulder.  
  
The maid looked at our heroes angrily. "Now see what you have done! My dear Bessie will have to be mended again, and that will cost so much. Why did you go past the fighting trees and over our china wall? Those were put up so that we would be protected by people such as you!"  
  
Jack tried to apologize, but she stormed away. So our heroes walked away. Then, Jack saw a princess with the most beautiful colors and form that he had seen. The thing that really surprised him, though, was that he recognized here: Toshi Okugi, otherwise known as--  
  
"Samurai Jill! You are here?" She acted like she didn't here him, so he tried to run up to her. But then she ran as well.  
  
"Don't chase me! Please don't chase me!" she cried.  
  
"I am not chasing you! I just want to talk to you!"  
  
"All right! Just so long as you do not break me!"  
  
Jack caught up to her and spoke from a safe distance. "Why are you so fearful of me? We are good friends."  
  
"It's not that I do not like you, but I know how easily I can break. I could be mended, but you know I won't look as perfect as I do now."  
  
"Do you not get tired of being in the same place and not seeing new things?"  
  
"Maybe sometimes, but I cannot leave. Once anything made of china leaves this wall, it stiffens up and is only fit for a mantle piece. We'll get all dusty and never be able to move again."  
  
"I am sorry to hear that. Well, since you are my friend, I will keep my distance."  
  
"Thank you. It was a pleasure talking to you."  
  
The princess walked on, and Jack told the others, "Let us get out of this country as soon as we can."  
  
It was a trick trying to climb up the wall again. The lion toppled over as he climbed up again and accidentally smashed a tiny church building. Finally, they did make it over.  
  
"That was indeed a lovely place," Nick observed.  
  
"I wouldn't want to live there, though," Jack answered.  
  
"Live there?" the Lion said as he continued picking china out of his tail. "I don' think I ever wanna visit again!" 


	14. The Lion Finds a Home

Chapter 14: The Lion Finds a Home  
  
Nobody would have guess that a yucky marsh was on the other side of that china wall. Jack found it very uncomfortable wading in the mud for half an hour, but they soon made it onto dry ground.  
  
The Lion took a deep breath. "Now, this is more like it! This is the best place I've seen yet!"  
  
"It's awful dreary," Nick observed.  
  
"Nonsense. Feel the leaves under yer feet and the nippy air. Why, this place is fit fer a king!"  
  
Something moving caught Jack's eye. He went closer to investigate and got lost from the rest of the group. Before long, he found himself facing a dangerous tiger. He drew his sword and engaged in a great fight. Yet the tiger knocked the sword out of Jack's hands and cornered him. Jack hoped for once that Nick's continuous assertion that nothing dies in Oz was right.  
  
The tiger raised her paw, unsheathed its claws, moved the claws toward Jack's neck, and then turned her paw into a fit and hit the ground. She wailed and yelled, "I can' do it! I can' do it! I can' kill ye!"  
  
Jack looked at her curiously. That was Scotsman's wife's voice. "You not a coward as well, are you."  
  
"HOW DARE YE INSULT ME!" the tiger snarled.  
  
"Forgive me. I was just wondering--"  
  
"Why I'm making such a scene?"  
  
"Well, yes."  
  
"Make no mistake, Laddie, I'm as brave as they come. It's m' blasted conscience that keeps me from hurtin' ye."  
  
"Oh. Well, that's very good."  
  
"No, no, that's very bad! I'm a tiger! I'm supposed to attack, kill and eat poor, innocent, living things, such as chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, and," (she shuddered) "fat babies! Doesn't that sound delicious? Succulent, juicy, fat babies!" Jack stomach turned, but he bit his lip and nodded. It must sound good to a tiger, even if it is cruel. "But m' heart tells me it's wrong, so I will remain 'ungry until I die. That's the worst part, ye see. I have an enormous appetite, from the tip of m' tongue to the end of m' tail. It's probably even larger than m' body, and it is never appeased, no matter how much I eat. One of these days I'm going to find me a vet and get it pulled."  
  
"What a tooth?"  
  
"No, for what good will it do when I have no teeth and I'm still 'ungry? Nah, I mean m' appetite."  
  
"Here," Jack offered her a hamburger. "I save this from the Emerald City. I know you beasts prefer uncooked food, but you can have it. I can get my own food."  
  
The Hungry Tiger sniffed at it. "Pathetic morsel! If you had a few 'undred, I might be interested, but one won' fill m' back teeth for a second."  
  
"Well, if you want, my friend the Lion and I--"  
  
"Lion? There's a Lion with ye? Why didn't ye say so? Take me to 'im, please!"  
  
Jack wondered why she was so interested to see the lion. He found out as soon as he found his friend. Nick and the Scarecrow were startled, but Jack said, "Don't be alarmed. She's--"  
  
But the Hungry Tiger interrupted by bowing at the Lion's paws. "Oh, great King of the Beasts, what took ye so long?"  
  
"I um--"  
  
"Come with me! NOW!"  
  
The Hungry Tiger led him to the heart of the forest where several different animals had gathered in counsel. Upon seeing the Lion, all the animals grew quiet and bowed. Then a zebra stood up and addressed the Lion in some foreign tongue. The Lion nodded. "It shall be done."  
  
"What did he say?" the Scarecrow asked.  
  
"There's a great monster in the forest, a giant spider. It strikes all creatures it finds with its venom and devours them. The fiercest beasts that have faced it have already fallen prey to its attacks. The Hungry Tiger was the only animal left to fight it, but she refused because of her conscience. It's up to me now. Laddie, don' take it personally, but I'd rather do it alone."  
  
"Very well. Good luck."  
  
Jack and the others stood outside where the spider was staying. There was a lot of roaring from both beasts, and the rustling leaves showed a fierce fight. In the end, though, the Lion stepped out and declared, "Ye don' have to worry 'bout the monster anymore!"  
  
All the animals cheered loudly.  
  
The Hungry Tiger tried to persuade them to stay for the night. "After we get all the venom out, we're gonna have a huge feast! That'll surely scrape some off m' appetite. Why don' ye join us?"  
  
Spider just didn't appeal to Jack, and he didn't want to spend the night around so many dangerous animals, even if some had a good conscience. "Thank you, but we must move on," he finally said.  
  
"Won' ye stay with us?" the Hungry Tiger asked the Lion. "We got to start a coronation fer ye, and I must confess, I think m' tastes are changing." As she spoke, she was nuzzling her head into his soft mane.  
  
"Sorry Lassie, but I must see Laddie 'ome first, and if he wants to leave, I should go with 'im."  
  
"Don' stay away too long!" the Hungry Tiger called after them.  
  
"I won'!" the Lion called back.  
  
They found a safe place for Jack to rest and set up camp for the night. 


	15. The Treacherous Mountain

Chapter 15: The Treacherous Mountain  
  
It was just a hill. Just your ordinary, rocky, steep hill. But it reminded Jack strongly of his unpleasant experiences climbing Mount Fatoum. And it was the next obstacle in his path.  
  
"Do you see any way around the mountain?" he asked his friends.  
  
"No, Laddie," the Lion called back. "On this side is a pretty sharp cliff."  
  
"And on this side is another, even more difficult mountain," the Scarecrow said.  
  
"Very well. Let us climb this mountain."  
  
Jack reached out for the first stone when someone yelled, "Hey, you! Get off our mountain!"  
  
They strained their eyes to see a strange man standing on the mountain. He was short, but he had a huge head with a flat top and a thick, wrinkly neck. His face was full of scars, and he reminded Jack of one of the bounty hunters he had faced. Then Jack noticed he had no arms and did not feel as threatened.  
  
"Forgive me!" Jack called up. "We must cross this mountain in order to reach the Good Witch Glinda!"  
  
"Well, you won't!" the man called down. "No one is allowed to climb our mountain! It belongs to us!"  
  
"We will climb over whether you like it or not!" Jack yelled. He started his climb, but then the man's head shot off his neck and struck Jack down to the foot of the hill.  
  
As the head returned to the man's body, he laughed and said. "See? It's not that easy!" As he continued to laugh, several other of these strange hammerhead men came into view, each appearing as all the bounty hunters Jack had challenged.  
  
Jack screamed a battle cry and drew his sword. Several heads shot at him, and he tried to strike at him. Their skins were as tough as rhinoceros skin, and his sword almost broke trying to penetrate. Jack kept trying. So did the others, but each time they were hit down by at least one head. The heads laughed cruelly at their pain.  
  
Jack, all bruised and tired, stayed down the last time he fell. He looked at all those cruel heads and the obstacles on either side, and painfully whispered the three words he concluded when he last tried to climb a mountain.  
  
"It is impossible."  
  
Nick shook his head. "Nothing is impossible, especially in this land. There must be another way."  
  
"Don't you still have the Golden Cap?" the Scarecrow asked.  
  
Jack pulled it out. He remembered Jellia's warning, how they would meet territorial people and that they would probably need the Golden Cap's magic again. "You are right! Good thinking!" He stood and preformed the spell. The Winged Monkeys were standing before them in no time.  
  
"What do you wish for us to do now?" their leader asked.  
  
"Please, carry us over this mountain, high above those hammerhead people."  
  
"All right. We'll do it." The monkeys carried the heroes the same way they had before. The hammerheads didn't like it and shot their heads up into the air, but the Monkeys went higher so they wouldn't hit. The clouds covered the top of the mountain, so Jack couldn't see what the strange people had worked so hard to protect.  
  
"Why are those people so strict about having no one climb their hill?" Jack asked.  
  
"No one really knows. I guess they just have some kind of animal genes in them. Anyway, have you figured out how to free us yet?"  
  
"No, I'm sorry. But we are going to see the Good Witch Glinda. Maybe she'll--"  
  
But the lead monkey nearly dropped Jack when she heard that name. "No, she won't help. She is the daughter of that princess I described to you. If we go before her, she will surely destroy us."  
  
"She has been called a good sorceress. Perhaps she will." But then Jack remember everyone called the Wizard of Oz good, and he certainly wasn't. Jack was starting to doubt this whole thing.  
  
The monkeys set them down gently on the other side and disappeared back into the sky. Just a few miles down, Jack could see red houses and bridges. The houses had red roses, red tulips, and red apples growing out in their fields. He wondered how they could all grow in the same season, but then he remembered that this was a magic land. Things like this must happen all the time.  
  
"The Quadlings like red the most," the Scarecrow explained. "This must mean we're getting close to civilization."  
  
"Yea," the Lion said unenthusiastically.  
  
"And to our goal," Nick reminded him.  
  
Finally, they reached a large, red castle decorated with rubies, real rubies this time. Marching in front of the castle was a parade of very pretty girl soldiers. Jack was afraid with such a heavy guard they would not allow them in. But as they came slow toward the castle, something curious happened.  
  
The captain of the guard ordered, "Halt!" She gave a couple of sharp orders, and the girls formed two straight lines and provided a path to the front steps, where the captain stood before the door. "Present arms!" the captain ordered. The girls held their guns out in a safe manner.  
  
"It seems they are saying it is safe to cross," the Scarecrow said. So Jack walked out first. Right as he stepped between the first two girls, the captain shouted another order. The girls put their guns down to their side, clicked their heals together, and saluted. Every pair of girls did the same the second Jack came between them.  
  
Finally, he walked up the steps to the captain. She was a lovely girl with long, curly, red hair and deep green eyes. Jack bowed before her, and she saluted him as the other girls had done. "Welcome, Samurai Jack. Welcome, Scarecrow. Welcome, Nicholas Chopper. Welcome, Cowardly Lion." Jack opened his mouth to request permission to see Glinda, but the captain smiled. "Glinda is expecting you. Follow me." 


	16. True Magic

Chapter 16: True Magic  
  
First, the captain led to a small room where they could clean up. Jack washed his face and quickly repaired tears in his robe. A servant girl washed and brushed his hair. The Scarecrow patted himself into a respectable shape. Nick oiled his joints and polished his tin. The lion shook the dirt and leaves out of his mane and tail. Another servant girl brushed his fur and put a large bow in his mane.  
  
Once they were in their best appearance, the captain led them to the throne room. It was a large room filled with several rubies on the walls, but luckily they weren't blinding. All the precious stones were real. The throne itself seemed to be carved out of one large ruby, and seated upon it was a lovely woman.  
  
Jack understood now why everyone thought he was a sorcerer. Glinda was in a white robe much like his, but it seemed to be made of diamonds. Her kind, beautiful face wasn't exactly human. It almost looked feline-like. Jack knew she was a half-demon, and he recognized her right away.  
  
"Samurai Kat!" He bowed low before her and shed a few tears of joy. He knew she would be good.  
  
She only smiled at him. "Welcome, Jack. Tell me, why have you come here?"  
  
"Do you not know?"  
  
"I did read it all in my Book of Oz, but I would like to hear it from you."  
  
So Jack told his whole story as briefly as he could. He knew he left several details out, but he felt rather certain that he had all the important things in. "Please, send me back home. I have seen through the Magic Picture that my parents and my friends are already mourning my death. They do not deserve to be forever enslaved. Aku's tyranny could spread to even this country. It is a wonderful, lovely place, this land called Oz, but I will not be happy anywhere besides my land and my time. For to me, your majesty, there is no place like home."  
  
Glinda stepped down from her throne, kissed Jack on the forehead, and made him stand. "Bless your dear heart. You will go home. But first, I need you to use the last charm on the Golden Cap."  
  
Jack's heart was seized with fear. Does she wish to take care of these gorillas right before his eyes? "I am sorry. I cannot make them come before you. They have expressed to me their fear of you."  
  
"Trust me Jack. I need to use the charm exactly three times to help your friends. You shall see. Let us go out to the courtyard so that you may summon them."  
  
Jack did not want to use the charm this time, for he was afraid what the Witch would do with his new friends. All the same, he was concerned that if he didn't do this for her, she would not use her power to get back home. So, as they went out into the courtyard, Jack quietly and solemnly spoke the charm again. The Winged Monkeys appeared before him again, and the leader, the woman with the bat wings, stood before him. "You have called us for the third and final time. What do you--" She gasped as she saw Glinda and cowered in fear.  
  
"I have asked your previous master to summon you here so that I may speak to you all, face to face." Glinda took the cap from Jack's head and put it on her own. "I am the owner of the cap now."  
  
The monkeys grouped together in fear. They looked like scared flocks of doves. Jack couldn't believe he had caused this.  
  
"First of all," Glinda said looking to the Scarecrow, "where would you wish to go when Jack goes home?"  
  
"I promised to return to the Emerald City as soon as I can, for they had chosen me to be their new leader in place of Oz. But I fear I cannot pass the Hammerhead hill."  
  
"Very well. My first wish is for you to take the Scarecrow back to the Emerald City. It would be to deprive such a wonderful city of an equally wonderful ruler."  
  
"Am I wonderful?"  
  
"You are unusual," Glinda grinned, but then she bowed down to his ear and said quietly, "But understand that you will not be its ruler forever."  
  
"Why not? I'm pretty sure I can rule forever."  
  
"And you probably could, but the Emerald City's true heir is a girl name Ozma. Before the Wizard came, though, she mysteriously disappeared. You may rule until I discover her whereabouts, but once I find her, you must step aside and let her claim her heritage."  
  
"Fine by me. I'm sure I probably won't enjoy ruling forever. I was just saying I could. When you find this Ozma, I will gladly serve her."  
  
"Good. Now, Nick, where would you like to go after Jack goes home?"  
  
"The Winkies were kind to me, and they wanted me to be their new king. I promised to come back as soon as I could to be their emperor. I shall treat them well with my good heart that the Wizard has given me."  
  
"My second wish," Glinda said addressing the monkeys, "is for you to take Nick Chopper to form his new empire in the west. He shall be a kind- hearted ruler, loved not only by the Winkies in the West, but by all people of Oz. And now, Lion, what will become of you when Jack leaves for home?"  
  
"Well, just past the Hammerhead Hill is a huge forests filled with every beast imaginable. They desire me to be their king and to keep them from harm. There is even a tiger who wishes to see me again. I am eager to get back to this forest and claim my place as ruler, if I can only get past that hill."  
  
"You shall. My third wish is for you to take this Lion back to that forest. That is my final wish. Therefore, having no more use for you or the Golden Cap--"  
  
The monkeys screaming and leaping in fear interrupted Glinda. The leader shook her wings fearfully. Nick covered his face. The Scarecrow also looked away. The Lion hid behind Jack's back. Jack was the only one who could bear to watch what Glinda had decided to do.  
  
Glinda took off the cap and put it in the leader's hands. "I give the cap to you. You are now your own masters, so the power of the cap is broken. You are hereafter free."  
  
As she spoke this, the cap turned into golden dust that the wind blew away. The woman with bat wings turned into a winged gorilla, just like the rest of them. She jumped for joy, screeching.  
  
"Yes, yes, you're welcome," Glinda nodded. "Now please, do these things for me, not just because I asked you to, but out of the kindness of your hearts. And do them quickly, for I must speak to Jack alone."  
  
"What?" Jack's friends said together.  
  
"Won't we get to see Jack go home?" the Scarecrow asked.  
  
"I'm afraid not," Glinda answered. "We're going to discuss things you will not understand, even as great as your brains are. But know in your hearts, my friends, that Jack will go to his home and his time and his people. Now, say goodbye."  
  
Nick was the first to give Jack a hug. He was crying again, but Jack handed Nick his oil can and a scrap of his robe. "Now I understand what you said of hearts being so fragile," Nick said weeping.  
  
"I'm gonna miss ye, Laddie," the Lion cried.  
  
"Goodbye, my friend," the Scarecrow said solemnly.  
  
Jack hugged them all and said, "Do not feel sad, my friends. I believe we will see each other again before long. Do not ask me how, but somehow I just know. May your lives be long and prosperous. May you be forever safe, and may you make friends of everyone you meet."  
  
They nodded and thanked him completely for all he had done. Jack watched with happiness and sorrow as he watched them fly away. Glinda led him back into her throne room.  
  
"What they say is more than true," Jack told her. "You are as good as you are beautiful. But please tell me, how are you going to send me back home?"  
  
"There is no need to keep it from you any longer. You could go home all along."  
  
He turned to her in confusion and surprise. "You jest!"  
  
"No, I do not." Glinda laughed. "You should see the look on your face. If Jellia were here, she would say that was how Harry Potter looked when he first learned he was a wizard."  
  
"But I am merely a warrior! I am not a wizard or a sorcerer. I am a samurai! I know no magic!"  
  
"You know no magic, but the power is there . . . in your sword."  
  
"My sword? No, it can only make me invincible, almost, and it can destroy a great demon such as Aku, but it cannot do something like that."  
  
"Oh, but it can. Your sword has great powers beyond your imagination. You just don't know how to use them."  
  
Jack fell on his knees. "Why did no one tell me? I am no better than those other three, if it was there all along. I could have gone home the day I first stepped foot in Aku's chaotic world! I feel like such a fool."  
  
"Don't feel like a fool, Jack. Think what would have happened if you would have gone back. The archers would still be cursed, and the evils of the well that they guarded would still be open to the world. The snow gorillas would still be afraid of any prey that came near them. They might have been led to extinction. The Scotsman's wife would have become stew."  
  
"No! None of those things would have happened, because Aku would be gone!"  
  
Glinda smiled and put her hand on Jack's shoulder. "Those things were apart from Aku, remember?"  
  
Jack thought through those things she mentioned and saw that she was right.  
  
"But here is the most important thing. In this world and your world, in your time, Aku's time, and times in between you do not even know about, your story has inspired confidence. And not just any confidence, but a great, new confidence that people lacked before. If you went back the first day, you would have become a folk tale, forgotten across time. But because you stayed behind for a time, you became a legend."  
  
Jack blinked a few tears from his eyes. She was right. He gulped down the lump in his throat and smiled.  
  
"Now you see. This was the whole point of this vision."  
  
"Vision?" Jack stood and faced Glinda. "This is only a dream?"  
  
"Let me show you something." She waved her hand, and the wall melted, showing an unconscious Jack sprawled on a wooden floor. "During the storm, the winds tore some of the old log house apart. Something hit you pretty hard on the head. You've been out for days."  
  
"But I don't understand. What does this mean? Can Aku be destroyed by something other than my sword? Is my evil self still out there, and is he a deceiver? Does my sword really have other powers? What here is real?"  
  
"Nothing," Glinda answered. But then she nodded with a smile and said, "Everything."  
  
As Jack struggled to understand this riddle, he saw his skin begin to fade. "What is happening?"  
  
"Since you now know the truth, you are leaving on your own."  
  
"Don't let me leave! Please, tell me how to use this charm in my sword!"  
  
"You will learn, when the time is right. And fate has designated a time for you, Jack, never fear. Farewell, and never forget us!"  
  
But even as she said that, a huge black hand broke through the ruby ceiling and grabbed Jack. It pulled him up to show a grinning Aku.  
  
"Surprised to see me again?" the Wicked Wizard yelled. "Don't you know that no one dies in Oz?"  
  
Jack instinctively drew his sword and struck--  
  
  
  
--and he woke.  
  
Glinda was right. Something did strike his head, and it still hurt. He put his hand on the bump and groaned. Most of the house was in tact, but there was now a huge hole in the roof. Jack felt lucky to be alive. Jack pulled out his sword and examined it. Surely if it had that kind of power, it would have some kind of markings, runes, instructions, anything anywhere. But he saw nothing. He sighed and put the sword back into the sheath. His quest wouldn't end that easily.  
  
Jack walked outside to the deck. Another rain had passed through recently, but it left a huge rainbow stretching across the sky. Jack sat down and reached for his hat so he could watch the rainbow while it was still here. As he pulled out his hat, something tiny fell into his hand.  
  
How could this be? He still had the whistle the Empress of the Field Mice gave him. But that was in Oz, and Oz only existed in his dreams, doesn't it? He blew the whistle. It made that same, high-pitched, piping sound, but no mice came scurrying to his feet. It was useless here.  
  
"Make a wish," he thought he heard Glinda's voice say in the back of his mind.  
  
"HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" he cried as he threw the whistle out of his hand. He watched as it flew over the rainbow.  
  
THE END  
  
(Thank you for everybody who reviewed, and if you haven't yet, please review. And if you have only seen movie, I encourage you, please read the book! This story is very similar, but I left some stuff out too. Believe it or not, L. Frank Baum wrote fourteen other books about Oz, and some are even better than the first one. They're really hard to find, though. I really enjoyed writing this. I doubt I will write another story about Jack visiting Oz again, but maybe he'll visit another fantasy world. Fantasy is one of my favorite things in the world. Right now, though, I have a few more ideas.) 


End file.
